Force of Temptation

“I wonder if a bond formed through imprinting is any different from one that’s formed between true mates.”

Jesse shrugged. “I’ve no idea.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Whatever you want.”

“How does it feel to recognize your true mate? I’m not mourning that I won’t experience it,” she rushed to reassure him. “I’m just curious.”

Able to feel her honesty through their bond, he wasn’t worried by the question. “Torrie was four the first time I saw her. I looked at her . . . and I just knew. There was no big revelation or rush of feelings or anything, but maybe that’s because we were just kids. I looked at her and knew as well as I knew my own name that she was mine. I told her that. She just said, ‘Okay.’ It felt right. Steadying. But it has to be different from what adults feel.”

Harley nodded, thinking just how uncomplicated it could be for a child to sense the bond. Their emotions were often less complex.

“So, that’s how it feels to recognize your true mate. Here’s what it’s like for a broken teenager to look at a person and know that, one day, she’s going to be his.” He maneuvered her so that they were on their sides, facing each other. “If I hadn’t heard the words you said to Mia that brought me back to myself, maybe it wouldn’t have happened. Maybe it would have. But one look at you . . . and I wanted. You have to understand it was a long time since I’d really felt a longing for anything, so it was a big fucking deal to me.”

She blinked. “Just one look?”

“Just one look. The possessiveness was a true shock. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be capable of that emotion. Not after losing my true mate. I wasn’t good at accepting the feeling, but I didn’t want to get rid of it either. It was, I don’t know, uplifting to know that I could feel it. It was uplifting to feel anything at all.”

Harley had assumed he’d grown to feel possessive. She hadn’t thought it had been an instant thing for him.

“The more I was around you, the more intense that emotion became. After a while, I stopped thinking I wanted you to be mine and started thinking of you as already belonging to me. I knew I’d one day have you. Knew I’d do what it took to make it happen. But I still wasn’t ready to accept that.” He slid his hand into her hair. “So I kept it to myself. I didn’t let you see it. I didn’t ask you to stay when Tess came for you, even though I didn’t want you to go. And even though I knew it was best for you to be away from your pride, I still didn’t want you away from me. So I kept watch over you, always knowing that one day I’d claim you. And I did.”

Harley melted into him as he kissed her, licking into her mouth. So many emotions flickered down the bond. Adoration. Possessiveness. Need. Respect. Protectiveness. All of it was wrapped up in what he felt for her. She moaned appreciatively as he rolled her onto her back and ground his cock against her clit. Then she moaned in complaint as her cell rang.

He sucked on her claiming mark. “Don’t answer it.”

Oh, she had no intention of doing so. But it just kept on ringing. Harley ignored it, arching into Jesse as his hand closed over her breast. Finally, her phone stopped ringing. She sighed, happy. And then his cell phone began to ring. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” But he ignored it and began sucking hard on her nipple, grazing it with his teeth. He was just making his way to her other nipple when his phone finally shut the fuck up. And then her damn cell began to ring again.

Growling, Jesse grabbed it from the beside cabinet and gave it to her. “Answer it or they’ll harass us all night.”

Seeing that the caller was Shaya, she lost some of her anger. The female had been through a lot tonight. Harley answered in a monotone voice. “You have reached the Federal Bureau of Investigation tip line; this call will be recorded.”

Shaya gave a soft snort of amusement. “Your cousins are here.”

Harley sighed. “We’ll be there soon.” Ending the call, she asked, “Did you hear that?”

Jesse put her phone back on the cabinet. “I did.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth and gave it a sharp nip. “But we’re not leaving this bed until I’m done with you.” Jesse tilted her hips and drove deep inside her.

“How hard was it to track the extremists?” Jesse asked the margays later on. It turned out that they had arrived to assure Harley that the local group was now very much dead. They hadn’t been happy to hear she’d been caught up in a battle with harpy eagles and, in fact, seemed disappointed to have missed the opportunity to join in. Jesse had always thought Harley was quirky, but her cousins took it to a whole new level.

“Very difficult,” replied Indie, chewing gum. “They went underground.”

Eli arched a brow. “You’re sure they’re dead?”

“Unless they’re capable of reattaching their severed heads and digging their way out of a shallow grave, they’re quite dead,” said Indie with all the emotion of an answering machine.

Eli inclined his head. “Fair enough.”

“That should repulse me,” Shaya said to Harley. “I’m not sure why it doesn’t.”

Chin resting on his hand, Bracken leaned close to the quiet female, Shiloh, who seemed to be one of those people who spent most of their time focused on their phone. “Did you sever any heads?”

Shiloh looked at him, seeming surprised that he’d spoken to her. “Why?” Her flat tone matched her indifferent vibe. Jesse had never met anyone who had such a detached air about her . . . as if she simply had no interest whatsoever in the world around her.